Hunter, Warrior, Commander

by Andrew Maclure

  The line moved forward as one, pushing through and either blowing doors open or blowing holes in walls if a convenient door wasn’t available. They met armed resistance the entire way, but the hostiles died in vain, only slowing the battalions advance. The only concerted resistance Sah Lee’s team encountered was a determined group defending a control core. When they hostiles had been suppressed and they entered the room, they found that all the equipment had pulse weapon holes in it. “Is there anything you can rescue from this?” Sah Lee asked her AI.

  “This is just dead hardware now. This is where the main AI was housed, but mostly it’s communications and security control equipment. I had already retrieved all the information, but there was nothing of interest. There is no mention of Tk’ng Dach Rm or of any other bases. Ker Din Ser Forn will interrogate the Main AI personality that I have sent, but he won’t force it to give up information that it doesn’t want to.”

  After checking the DNA from all the bodies, they moved forward until they reached walls attached to the solid rock. There was nowhere to go, no one left to fight. Sah Lee checked with Auross, Si’ir Monn and Dorsh, there were no prisoners and Tk’ng Dach Rm’s DNA had not been detected by any of the troops.

  “Damn! Where is he?” she asked her AI.

  “He has always been elusive. There is reliable information that he was here and there have been passive People’s monitors in the solar system since then, but no sign of him leaving. Nonetheless, he does not appear to be here now.”

  “Could he be on the dark side of the planet?”

  “It would be possible. The temperature there drops by more than a third of the way to absolute zero, so a basic space environment suit or transport would protect him, but it is extremely unlikely that he would be able avoid detection by even the basic sensors the Galactic Savior Army have in orbit, let alone the sensory array that Ker Din Ser Forn has deployed. My conclusion is that he was either never here or left before we were informed of his presence.”

  “So this has all been a waste of time and lives?”

  “Not at all Sah Lee. There is clear evidence that this was one of Tk’ng Dach Rm’s bases. The removal of it will have an impact on his plans for expansion. It is essential to keep him in check until he can be permanently controlled.”

  “You mean killed.”

  “That is one option that would meet the criteria.”

  Sah Lee contacted her officers on the mission comms: “Order the troops to form a line and conduct a thorough sweep to find and dispatch any surviving hostiles and double check all remains for a DNA match as we return to the Ant lines. When we reach them, all squads will revert to the command of their corporals and make their own time back to the landers. We’ll rendezvous there, and I’ll address the troops. Auross, Dorsh, Si’ir Monn, join me at the Ant lines. We’ll return together. Move out.”

  Chapter One Hundred And Two

  Showdown

  Sah Lee’s squad arrived back at the landers last, having stopped to pay their respects to Bry’ak, the Ant commander. Ti’rrk stayed with Sah Lee; her role was Ant Liaison, so she did not travel with Ant soldiers. As they approached the troops, she saw a figure walking down a ramp from a lander. It was Colonel Ssar Bess Dassur.

  “What’s that fuckwit doing here?” Si’ir Monn asked.

  “I think I’m about to find out.” Sah Lee replied.”

  “Major Sah Lee!” Colonel Ssar Bess Dassur bellowed. “Get over here, Now!”

  “This will be fun.” she muttered as she walked towards him.

  “At the double soldier!” he shouted.

  She continued her slow walk toward him, keeping her eyes fixed on his. She stopped two meters away, deliberately not saluting him.

  “You failed, you miserable fucking excuse for a soldier. You let Tk’ng Dach Rm slip right through your fingers. I’ll have those Major's insignia off you soldier. As soon as we return to base, I’ll bust you down to Private and put you on cleaning duty! It will free up a bot that would be more use than you as a soldier. If I had my way you’d be straight out of an airlock.”

  “You under resourced us. The Ants requested exactly twice as many troops as you allocated for this mission.”

  “You survived.” he sneered. “At least you’ve learnt to keep yourself out of the line of fire and let the disposable troops take the impact of the enemy.”

  “My troops aren’t disposable.” she hissed through gritted teeth. “They are people, friends, brave soldiers, every one of them. You make me sick, you scum.”

  “Well done, you pathetic savage. Gross insubordination is grounds for a reduction in rank or dismissal. I think I’ll keep you in the army, just so I can torment you.” He looked over to the troops who were gathering round. “You four,” he pointed to a group of soldiers, “come here and take her into custody.”

  The soldiers didn’t move.

  “I’m ordering you, now get over here and do as I tell you or you’ll be on a charge too!” the Colonel shouted. Still the soldiers stood their ground.

  “Damn it I’ll take you myself.” He moved forward to grab hold of Sah Lee. She leapt forwards and punched him hard just below his sternum, causing his diaphragm muscles to go into spasm. He bent over and dropped to his knees, unable to breathe. She grasped the back of his neck and hauled him to his feet, pulled her knife out and held it to his throat.

  “Don’t say another word you piece of shit, or my knife will put an end to you sending good people to their deaths, just so you can snatch the glory if they survive long enough to succeed in their mission. I’ll report you as missing in action.”

  “That disorderly mob of so-called soldiers might back you up,” he gasped, “but the Ants…”

  “The Ants don’t like you.”

  “Maybe, but Ker Din Ser Forn wouldn’t let you get away with it. If I die, you’ll die. The penalty for murdering a senior officer in this army is death.”

  “Ker Din Ser Forn would not disapprove.” Sah Lee’s AI said.

  “Are you sure?” she asked.

  “He just confirmed.”

  “Ker Din Ser Forn does not see a future for you. Nor do I. You have made a career of sending good soldiers to their deaths. It stops, now.”

  “Hah! You think you can stop me? You are naïve as well as stupid. You haven’t got the guts to carry out your threat. When we get back to Betzel Base, I’ll have you thrown in prison along with these scum you call 'good soldiers', and then have you all thrown out of the army for rebellion. I’ll take pleasure in kicking you out myself, you damned savage.”

  “Goodbye Colonel.” she said as she slid the blade of her knife deep into his throat and twisted the blade. She held his neck until he stopped choking as blood poured up out of his mouth and down into his lungs. He struggled a little until the spark of life slipped out of him, then she dropped his body and turned to face her battalion.

  Chapter One Hundred And Three

  Aftermath

  The troops looked at her in stunned silence. A solitary voice near the back called out. “Well done, Major!” Another voice, close to the front shouted: “Good job Sah Lee!” More voices called out, and a chant started up, quickly picked up by all the troops: “Sah Lee! Sah Lee! Sah Lee!”

  She heard the voice of Ti’rrk. “What do you plan to do now Sah Lee?”

  “I don’t know. I hadn’t planned this.” She was starting to realize that she had just committed cold-blooded murder on a senior officer in front of over a hundred witnesses. There had to be repercussions and they would be serious.

  “What do you plan to do with the body?”

  “I, I don’t know. It will be difficult to hide, buried in this terrain.”

  Two Ants came running over and stopped in front of Sah Lee, the Colonels’ body still at her feet. One of them was Bry’ak, the Ant commander, the other a soldier that Sah Lee didn’t recognize.

  “Your ways are not the same as ours Major Sah Lee.” Bry’ak said. “I know enough of your army’s cus
toms and rules to know your action with your Colonel is not conventional. We will dispose of his body so that no trace will ever be found. You are a committed and honorable warrior. Our records will show we have no knowledge of the heroic and untimely death of the Colonel in your report.”

  “My report? Heroic and untimely?”

  “That is what you must report.”

  The Ant soldier stepped forward and carefully lifted the limp and bloody body of Colonel Ssar Bess Dassur in its mandibles and walked back to the Ant troop carriers.

  “We Ants are pragmatic Major Sah Lee.” Bry’ak continued, “The Colonel’s reckless and dishonorable disregard for the lives of your soldiers by under resourcing missions compromised our ability to work successfully with your army, which put the lives of our soldiers at risk. Your open and trusting relationship with Ti’rrk and your willingness to integrate my soldiers with your own were major factors in the success of this mission, despite you having far too few troops committed. It was an honor to serve alongside you Major. May your enemies fall before your onslaught.”

  “It was an honor to serve with you too Bry’ak. Victory is our destiny.”

  Bry’ak nodded her head to Sah Lee, turned and walked back to her soldiers.

  Si’ir Monn, Dorsh and Captain Auross all broke away from the ranks and walked towards Sah Lee. On reaching her, Si’ir Monn turned to the chanting soldiers and bellowed “Silence!” The chanting died down and the troops stood silently watching.

  Auross was the first to speak to her. “What are the Ants going to do with the body Major?”

  “They said no one will ever find any trace.” Knowing she had committed a crime under the military code of conduct, Sah Lee resigned herself to her fate. This was no business of the Ants, so it was no real surprise they would deny any knowledge of what had happened, but Auross was different. She was a career soldier who had slowly but steadily worked her way up the ranks over many years.

  “That’s solved one problem. We need to get our story straight now and make sure everyone buys into it. What had you planned?”

  “I haven’t planned anything. When he started shouting and threatening me, having stayed in hiding until all danger had gone, and saying my troops - all of us, were ‘disposable’, I just, I just…”

  “We’ll need something the Generals will swallow. Haven’t you got anything?”

  “Bry’ak, the Ant commander, said my report should say he died a heroic death.”

  “That’s good. The Ants are a lot smarter than most people give them credit for. The Generals will accept that, even if no one else in the army does. I think it’s best if you leave this to us Major, we know the army better than you do. Go and talk to the conscious wounded in the hospital lander. That’s what a battalion commander should do after a mission. Dorsh, Si’ir Monn and I will concoct an alternative scenario where there is no connection between you and the Colonels death, and we'll make sure all the troops know what to say if questioned.”

  “What about Fauren Ess and his friends? They won’t support me.”

  “None of Fauren Ess’s friends are here. As for him, he died a tragic but heroic death in action.” Si’ir Monn told her.

  “Really? I must have misjudged him.” Sah Lee said.

  “No. His corporal shot him when he turned and ran away.” Auross said. She gave a quick salute, turned and walked away with Si’ir Monn and Dorsh.

  Sah Lee walked toward the hospital lander. Auross seemed to know exactly what to do. Was it common in this army for a soldier to murder their senior officer? She remembered Brog was in Ker Din Ser Forn’s ship, monitoring all that was happening on the ground. She opened a private channel to him on the mission comms network.

  “How are things up on the ship?” Sah Lee asked. She didn’t know what to say but thought that was a better opening to the conversation than ‘Did you notice me murdering the Colonel?’

  “I’m very comfortable here Sah Lee. Ker Din Ser Forn invited me to observe with him and he has been very hospitable. Congratulations on the successful completion of your mission and in case you are concerned, I can confirm that neither Ker Din Ser Forn or I saw you murder Colonel Ssar Bess Dassur by stabbing him in the neck. I presume he died in action?”

  “Uh, yes. Heroically apparently. Brog, I’m not stupid. I know that what I did was wrong, but I have seen so much death, so many people I loved and respected died on Aarn, and he was cynically killing more people for no reason…”

  “Sah Lee, you have done something others haven’t had the courage to do. No one will mourn him. He was too busy polishing his ego to make friends. His family disowned him as though he were an outcast. You have performed a service to the Galactic Savior Army. Now, how do we handle this? He died heroically? That’s good. The Generals will like that. Would you like my input in preparing a convincing scenario?”

  “Captain Auross Trowd Arben is handling that. She seems to know what she is doing.”

  “I am sure I can add verisimilitude. I’ll come down and join her.”

  Chapter One Hundred And Four

  The Generals

  Captain Rettod Bar Sen and the security detail met Sah Lee at the lander.

  "Welcome back, Major. We are here to escort you to the Council of Generals."

  “Is this an honor guard again?”

  “I only get told when to escort people Major, not why. If it helps, the mood of the Generals is one of sadness about the death of Colonel Ssar Bess Dassur but satisfaction about the mission outcome. General Mauren Dag Slen seems pleased that you survived.

  Sah Lee breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

  Sah Lee walked into the Council room and snapped of a perfect army salute. “Major Sah Lee reporting as ordered Sirs!”

  This time, she wasn’t offered a seat.

  “We have seen your report Major, and those of your officers. We are shocked and saddened by the loss of Colonel Ssar Bess Dassur. He was a fine soldier and a remarkable officer. One of the best. The army will be diminished without him, but we will carry on.” the gray skinned General with red eyes said.

  A General with spiky orange fur covering all of its exposed skin said “You weren’t with him when he died Major. A pity. With your reputation, if you had been, he may have survived. I know he didn’t hold you in the highest regard, but despite that, we know he really cared about all the soldiers who served under him and he would have taken comfort to know you were there, fighting for his life. It’s doubly unfortunate that he should have died in a fruitless mission, Tk'ng Dach Rm has once again eluded capture or death, but at least under Colonel Ssar Bess Dassur’s unparalleled leadership the outpost was destroyed and most of his soldiers returned alive. He would have been proud of that achievement.”

  Turning to the gray skinned General, who seemed to be in charge, Sah Lee said “Sir, are you going to return Colonel B’Erren Tek to her role in military operations?”

  “It is traditional, Major, that officers invited in front of the Council of Generals answer questions, not ask them. I am prepared to overlook your indiscretion this time but remember it in future. I will however answer your question. We will take over Colonel Ssar Bess Dassur’s responsibilities temporarily. We like the way he operated and will continue in the same way until we decide upon a candidate capable of picking up where he left off. Despite the detailed reports you and your officers submitted that have a remarkably similar style to them, I am still not sure we know exactly what happened on Forness Two. However, it is clear that the battalion is fiercely loyal to you, and the Ants were pleased with the conduct of our personnel. We have also had a communication from Ker Din Ser Forn expressing his satisfaction with the outcome of the joint action. I want to make this quite clear Major. We will continue to manage and resource our field operations in exactly the same way as the late Colonel. His ability to succeed with significantly fewer troops than the hostiles he led them against is a mark of an inspired leader. His replacement, when we find the right person, will pick up from
exactly where he left off. Do you understand me Major?”

  “Sir, yes Sir!”

  “Good. Dismissed.”

  General Mauren Dag Slen struggled out of his seat. “I will escort you out Major.”

  Sah Lee waited until he was level with her, saluted the remaining Generals and followed him out. They walked in silence until they were some distance from the council room, then the General spoke. “So, you killed him?”

  Sah Lee stopped dead, speechless, shocked that she had been found out.

  “You’re not supposed to do that you know.” he continued, “There are rules against it.”

  “I, I, I…”

  The General continued walking and Sah Lee ran a few steps to catch him up. “Don’t worry Major. I won’t take it any further. Your battalion, the Ants and Ker Din Ser Forn all back up your version. Even if an enquiry were to request AI recordings of the events, we all know Ker Din Ser Forn would rewrite everyone’s recording to match the reports. The Generals won’t make a fuss, they know they can’t prove anything, even though they really did see the Colonel as a hero. He wasn’t to my taste and I share your disappointment that they are determined to carry on as before.” He sighed. “I would prefer someone like Colonel B’Erren Tek to take over, but I am in a minority. My reading of the reports show that you did well managing the mission Major. Not so well in murdering your commanding officer though. But, we need more like you and fewer like Ssar Bess Dassur, but it will be a long time before you get promoted again. You are not the right fit for what the Generals want.”